Grand Canyon National Park which was designated a national park in 1919 is one of the oldest US parks and boasts a beautiful scenery of the Grand Canyon which is a gorge of the Colorado River. The park itself comprises over a million acres and, while many people come for the beautiful views, there are actually some other things to do in the park besides look at the Canyon.

Yet, if it's views you're after then the South Rim is where you will get the best views. If you really want to take advantage of your trip, you might consider taking a shuttle bus on hermit Road which will give you views of the river at Pima point, Hopi point in Mohave point - all free of charge. If you want to take your own car then you can drive on Desert view Drive which is 25 miles long and offers views at Desert view, Lipan point and Moran point.

In addition to the geological wonders located in grand Canyon National Park, there are also quite a bit of interesting archaeological wonders. The Grand Canyon has been inhabited for thousands of years and human artifacts dating back 12,000 years have been discovered there. There are over 4800 archaeological resources in the park and you can find remains from cultures such as the Paleo-Indian, basketmaker, Euro-American, Navajo, Hopi and Zuni. A trip to the Tusayan Ruin and Museum located about 3 miles west of Desert view will give you some insight into what Pueblo Indian life was like 800 years ago.

In the village, you can reflect on what life was like back in the early 20th century as you visit the historic district that was built by the Santa Fe Railroad. Walk on the same streets that Teddy Roosevelt once walked on when he was a frequent visitor to Grand Canyon national Park.

The more adventurous visitors to the park will find plenty to do including hiking and backpacking into the canyon as well as riding down on mules. To hike from the South rim to the North rim can be a 21 mile hike and weather conditions can be rather unpleasant so you want to check the conditions before you start on your hike.

There are plenty of guided tours at the park and you can take a bus tours, air tours and hiking tours throughout the year. Mule trips are a very popular activity and you want to be sure to make your reservations at least six months in advance in order to get in. Horse rides on the South Rim a popular activity in the park and for those who love water there is always kayaking and white water rafting on the Colorado River.

When you visit to Grand Canyon national Park, don't forget to stop in at the Yavapai Observation Station located east of market Plaza would you will get a fantastic view of the Grand Canyon as well as geological displays which will give you insight into the interesting and complicated geology of the area.